


Railway Robbery

by Kiraly



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Enemy Lovers, F/F, Flash Fic, Flirting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-09 02:51:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11095344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiraly/pseuds/Kiraly
Summary: Agneta takes her job as a train guard very seriously. After all, this is the Wild West - there's no telling what kind of unsavory folk might come along. Like a certain outlaw "captain" who turns out to be far better looking than her wanted posters.





	Railway Robbery

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [When the smoke had cleared and the dust was still](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7813012) by [Kiraly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiraly/pseuds/Kiraly), [Minutia_R](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Minutia_R/pseuds/Minutia_R). 



> Written for this week's Synchronised Screaming challenge. The theme this week was "minor characters", and the minute I saw this prompt - Agneta, The Great Train Robbery - I knew I had to write an Old West AU. This is loosely connected to the fic Minutia_R and I wrote a while back, _[When the smoke had cleared and the dust was still](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7813012)_. You don't have to read that before reading this, but I like the idea of them existing in the same world. (Maybe this is why the 4:20 from Grand Rapids is always late?)

“All aboard!”

The conductor’s final boarding call was nearly drowned out in a shriek of escaping steam. Agneta caught the rail and leaned out to check for stragglers. This moment when the train pulled away from the station was always a little exciting; her heart beat along with the chugging engine, and the wind tore tendrils of hair from the careful knot she kept it in. On good days, the thrill of departure was the most excitement she’d get until they pulled into the next station.

There certainly wasn’t much to look at on this route, anyway. Dust, trees, the occasional far-flung farmhouse, and of course more dust. Agneta found it more interesting to patrol through the cars and check on the passengers. The variety of people who rode the train fascinated her. And it made them feel safer, she thought, to see that at least one of the train guards took her job seriously. Plus, one never knew. It wasn’t unheard of for outlaws to waylay an unsuspecting train. If it happened, Agneta would be ready. She made it a point to be ready for anything.

She paused for a moment in the second-class car. It was only about halfway full, but one of the occupants more than made up for it. Her voice could be heard all the way at the other end of the car.

“And then I punched it so hard it died!” The red-haired woman sounded disturbingly cheerful about that—Agneta wasn’t sure she wanted to know what ‘it’ was. The woman’s blond companion certainly looked green around the gills; he probably wished he _didn’t_ know. The two of them were an odd pair. The woman was dressed in well-worn leather and cotton, looking perfectly at ease with her boots propped up on the seat in front of her. The young man at her side sported a linen suit in the latest fashion, and dabbed at his forehead with a silk handkerchief. When Agneta approached, he paled even further. The redhead winked.

“Morning, officer!” she said. “It’s quite the scorcher today, isn’t it?”

Agneta nodded stiffly. Something about the woman struck her as odd, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. She looked almost familiar, but surely Agneta would remember having met her. “A beautiful day to ride the rails, ma’am,” she said. “I trust you’ll have a comfortable journey.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” the woman said. “I’ve heard it can get rough out here.”

Agneta didn’t have a chance to answer, because just then there was a screech of brakes and a shudder ran through the train. Agneta was flung forward; if it hadn’t been for her grip on the seat, she would have plowed right into the compartment door. As it was, she was off-balance already when the redhead surged out of her seat.

“That’s our cue!” she shouted, shoving past Agneta. In the blink of an eye she produced a pair of revolvers from beneath her coat. The blonde followed her, pausing to snatch a rifle that had somehow been concealed in the luggage rack. “Hands up, y’all! This is a robbery!”

Agneta swore and reached for her sidearm, but the revolver poking her nose made her reconsider. “Doggone it,” she growled.

“Language,” the redhead said, winking. “Now, y’all sit tight while I go talk to the folks in first class. My right-hand man Emil here will keep you company.” She leaned close to whisper in Agneta’s ear. “He gets a _little_ jumpy, so I wouldn’t go making any sudden moves, train lady.” She pulled Agneta’s gun from its holster and tucked it into her own belt. At her nod, the blonde swung his weapon to point at Agneta.

As soon as the woman left the compartment, Agneta smiled at the remaining outlaw. “So. Emil, was it?”

He flinched. “What’s it to you?”

“Just trying to be friendly,” Agneta said, working hard to keep her voice even. The last thing she wanted was to upset someone with a twitchy trigger finger. “You been doing this long?”

The outlaw swallowed hard and shook his head. “N-none of your business.” That meant ‘no’.

“But your boss has been at this for a while, hasn’t she?” It wasn’t even a guess—there was no way that woman hadn’t done this before. She wore confidence like a favorite pair of boots. And she was _so_ familiar.

“She’s the best. I mean...no, I don’t know...stop talking!” His hands shook.

“Calm down, sir, I’m only asking.” Agneta shifted her weight to the left. As she expected, the gun swung around, giving her the opportunity she needed. She darted to the right and jostled his shoulder, grabbing the gun as she did so. He fired, but the shot plowed harmlessly into the floor. Agneta drove the butt of the rifle upwards into his chin, and the blonde went down like a sack of flour. The other passengers let out a faint cheer.

Agneta flipped the outlaw over and bound his hands with his own handkerchief. “Right. Now that he’s dealt with,” she dug around in his pockets and came up with extra ammunition, “I’m going to handle this. All of you, stay here and keep an eye on him. Don’t let anyone else in.” With that, she left the compartment in search of the redhead.

She caught up with her in first class, right where she said she’d be. The woman was conversing cheerfully with the passengers, acting as though it was perfectly ordinary to discuss the weather while everyone else in the room tossed their valuables into a sack. She didn’t even flinch when Agneta pressed the gun to her temple. “I like you, train lady. You’ve got spunk!”

“And you have a price on your head,” Agneta replied. She’d finally remembered where the knew the red-haired woman from. “The wanted posters don’t do you justice, Captain.” She should have realized sooner. The woman’s face  was posted in every town square from here to the coast. Sigrun “Viking” Eide, also known as “Captain Catastrophe”, the outlaw with a wicked grin and one finger always on the trigger. Agneta had never expected to meet her face-to-face. Or...face to gun.

“They really don’t,” Sigrun said, still cheerful. “I’m sure the artists would do better if I’d sit for a real portrait, but I can’t be bothered. Too much to do.”

“Well, once they put you in a cell, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time for that. Unless the hangman gets eager.” Agneta reached around and retrieved her own weapon from Sigrun’s belt. “Now, you’re going to drop your weapons, and the two of us are going to back out of here, nice and slow.”

“Now, train lady—what did you say your name was?”

“Agneta.” She ground the syllables out. “And stop wasting time. The other guards will be here soon, and I’d hate for one of them to blow you away on accident.” Part of her wanted to do it herself, but the thought of putting Sigrun Eide behind bars was far more appealing.

Slowly, Sigrun lowered her hands. Agneta kept the gun pressed to her skin as she stooped to drop the guns. “Agneta. Well, it would be a shame if one of us ate lead for breakfast. I haven’t had this much fun in ages!”

“Fun?” Agneta pulled Sigrun toward the door, careful to keep her sidearm where the other woman couldn’t reach it. “Your idea of ‘fun’ is as twisted as your sense of justice.”

“Or maybe your sense of justice keeps you from having fun!” Sigrun said. She sighed heavily, as though Agneta’s adherence to duty hurt more than the thought of a bullet through her skull. “Which is really too bad. You’d make a fine outlaw.”

“Rather make an honest living,” Agneta growled. They’d finally reached the compartment door; once she got Sigrun outside, she could call for backup and secure the outlaw and her accomplice for transport. Hopefully there wasn’t anything too wrong with the tracks ahead. It’d be far more heroic to reach their intended destination with captives in tow and the railway intact. She felt bad enough about that bullet in the floor. Still, at least she’d stopped the outlaws.

Sigrun still didn’t seem to understand that she’d lost, though. She just kept talking. “You’re sure you don’t want to join us? Lower your weapon, and I’ll make you my right hand lady.”

Agneta pulled Sigrun off the train with more force than necessary. How was it possible for someone to be so irritating and so charming at the same time? “No thanks. I think I’ll stay out of jail. Which is more than I can say for you. Those artists are about to get their chance.” Maybe she’d get a decent portrait, to remember this moment.

Sigrun sighed. “Fine. Go ahead, then.”

“Go ahead with—whaaa!” Before Agneta could finish her question, someone grabbed her from behind and lifted her right off her feet. She struggled, but it did no good; in the blink of an eye, she was disarmed and pinned in a vice-like grip. She looked up to see a giant of a man looking down at her. When she looked away, Sigrun had a gun pointed at her. Again.

“Sorry Agneta, I can’t pose for a portrait after all. Too much to do!” She nodded at the man who still held Agneta. “Everything going according to plan, Mikkel?”

Agneta could feel his grip shift as he nodded. “Other than your flirtation, yes. The rest of the guards are tied up in the engine car, and Emil’s planted his little surprises to keep anyone from following us. Though I did have to rescue him from a group of angry passengers. And he seems to have lost his rifle.”

“I noticed,” Sigrun said, hefting the weapon over her shoulder. “Speaking of which, do you mind securing this fine lady? I need to go retrieve my revolvers.” At Mikkel’s assent, she disappeared back into the car.

Once Agneta was tied to the railing—too tightly to get loose on her own, though she did try—there was nothing to do but watch the outlaws come and go with every valuable item on the train. They loaded their loot into their saddlebags and pointed their horses towards the distant hills. Before they left, Sigrun came to stand in front of Agneta.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, train lady. Unless you’ve changed your mind?” Agneta shook her head. “Pity,” Sigrun said. She leaned in close enough for Agneta to see the glint of mischief in her purple eyes. “I really mean it, you know. We’d be glad to have you.” She breathed a laugh against Agneta’s lips. _“I’d_ be glad to have you.” And then she closed the rest of the space between them with a fierce kiss.

Agneta didn’t mean to enjoy it. She knew she _shouldn’t_ , but the part of her that had been noticing Sigrun’s lips and imagined hanging her portrait on the wall took over. She kissed back, just as fiercely and with an air of desperation. She nipped at Sigrun’s lip just before they broke the kiss and tasted blood. Good. Something for Sigrun to remember her by. _She_ certainly wouldn’t forget this in a hurry.

“Ha!” Sigrun sounded a little out-of-breath. “You really do have spunk. If you ever change your mind, come find me!” With that, she turned and headed for the waiting horses.

“Oh, I’ll find you, all right,” Agneta said. It was a big country, and there was no guarantee that Sigrun and her band would rob this train for a good while. But Agneta was nothing if not determined. She’d see Sigrun again. And next time, she’d make sure the outlaw ended up in a jail cell.

Agneta licked her lips and thought about that, watching as the dust kicked up by the horses faded in the distance. All in all, it wasn’t such a bad view.


End file.
